Education

Education is an important part of the work of West Cork Music and is central to its values.

Through our Education activities, within and outside our Festivals, we set out to:

foster music appreciation in school children by bringing live music experiences into the classroom

support and train pre-professional classical and traditional musicians through masterclasses

encourage aspiring adult writers through a range of workshops and one-to-one mentoring

cultivate a love of reading and writing in young people through readings and workshops

Tuning Up

A Cork County Council Arts in Schools service organised in partnership with West Cork Music

Tuning Up is a music-in-schools programme which aims to bring students face-to-face with the best Irish performers of the baroque, classical, modern and traditional repertoire. Tuning Up complements the music curriculum at primary and post-primary level. It is concerned with broadening the young person’s experience of music, encouraging a sense of exploration and engagement with music in a positive interactive environment. Read more...

West Cork Chamber Music Festival Masterclass Programme

The West Cork Chamber Music Festival is not just a week of extraordinary concerts in a fabuous setting. It is also a summer meeting-point for top young ensembles from conservatoires in Cork, Dublin and Manchester, where advanced students have the opportunity to immerse themselves without distraction in the world of chamber music and, guided by some of the world’s finest artists, to explore its great riches. The opportunity to take part in Masterclasses and the experience of preparing for concerts at the end of the week are of considerable value in themselves, but the benefits of attending the Festival go further: behind the scenes there is much private tuition going on, and the informal contact between students and artists is a tremendously valuable resource. Click here to find out more.

Within the West Cork Literary Festival, the Children’s Festival has developed into a rich and varied programme of events for young people, from age four up to teens. Readings and workshops are given and led by award-winning writers and Workshop topics include comic books, illustration, picture storybooks, writing and reading poetry, devising plots and inventing characters. For more information on the Literary Festival click here.

Ever since the Festival’s inception in the late 1990s, workshops for adults have been at the heart of the programme. Encouraging both novice and experienced writers, they cover many areas of the discipline from how to get published to how to get past page one. Our five-day workshops, still quite unique among Irish literary festivals, provide week-long opportunities for development and intensive learning not possible in one sitting. Yet another highlight is the Editor-in-residence whose one-to-one sessions are proving very popular. Find out more...

READ ON: inspiring young people across Europe to read

READ ON is a 4-year project across 6 European countries and 5 languages, funded by the EU Creative Europe programme.
The project commenced in 2017 and provided opportunities for young people aged 12 to 19 to get involved through their schools, libraries, groups or by themselves.
The READ ON project will excite young people to read, write, illustrate, draw graphic novels, interview authors, offer their own spin on their favourite book, get involved in events at a literature festival, both in their own country and across Europe.

READ ON: Reading for Enjoyment, Achievement and Development of yOuNg people.

BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES

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QUOTE

"The quartet made the songs and pieces come alive for the children. They used simple, clear explanations about the various pieces and musical elements...the highlight of the performance was when some pupils were invited to conduct the quartet."